Gate for hydraulic structures



Aug. 26, 1924.

. W. G. FARGO GATE FOR HYDRAULIC STRUCTURES 7, 1922 2 sheets sheet 1 Filed Aug.

Wz'ZLia/m G. @2390 Aug. 26,1924.

W. G. FARGO GATE FOR HYDRAULIC STRUCTURES 2 SheetB -Shee 2 Filed Aug. '7, 1923 3140241401, am rfvlhr a W ll/l1 attorney Patented 1 mg. 26, T92 2 UNTTED STATES FATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAEI G. FARGO, OF JACKSON, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR T0 FARGO ENGINEERING COMPANY, 0.? JACKSON, MICHIGAN.

GATE FOR HYDRAULIEG STRUCTURES.

Application filed August '7, 1922. Serial No. 580,345.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that T, RVILLIAM G. FARGO, a citizen of the United States, residing at Jackson, in the county of Jackson and,

tate of Michigan, have invented new and useful Improvements in Gates for Hydraulic Structures, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to a gate for large spillways or head gates for dams or similar hydraulic structures.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of gates of the sector type for hydraulic structures and to provide a light gate compared with other gates of the same type and size and flexible to hydraulic structures under conditions where other gate types would heretofore have been necessary.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple, practical and efficient sector gate of this character adapted to obviate the necessity of employing the steel frame-work usually provided on the down stream side of such gates to carry the water loading pressure.

It is also an object of the invention to construct the top portion of the gate so as to render harmless the ice thrust to which such gates are subjected, especially in high latitudes and to cause the ice to slide upwardly on the gate instead of exerting its expansive force against the gate.

WVith these and other objects in view the invention consists in the construction andv novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spiritor sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings, in which like characters of reference designate corresponding parts in the several views Figure l is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of a sector gate, constructed in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is a plan view partly in section.

In the accompanying drawings, in which is illustrated the preferred embodiment of upstream face of a sector gate designed for various hydraulic structures and mounted to swing vertically on horizontal pivot pins 2, carried by steel castings 3 at the flanking piers or abutments 4 of the gate. The front of the gate presents a series of substantially segmenta ly arranged transverse fiat faces 5 extending entirely across the front of the gate and straight in longitudinal section from one end to the other and forming a Water face. The front of the gate is also provided at the top with an inclined section 6 arranged at a flat angle to the horizontal, say approximately 35 degrees more or less, presenting an inclined front face 7 and adapted to deflect and direct the thrust of ice upwardly and thereby preventthe ice from exerting its expansive force against the front of the gate. By this construction the ice thrust is rendered harmless and the difiiculty ordinarily experienced with gates of this type to provide a structure of suflicient strength to withstand the ice thrust, is eliminated. The front of the gate, which is preferably provided with a metallic skin 8, may be constructed of any suitable material, preferable wood and metal, and of the necessary thickness to adapt it to the character of hydraulic structure to which it is to be applied.

I The front of the gate is supported by a plurality of sets of struts, the members of each set being arranged in a vertical plane and in planes which converge at opposite sides of the gate and intersect the side pivots 2. In the accompanying drawing is illustrated, for convenience, a four strut arrangement, that is four sets of struts are provided, but it will be readily understood that the number of sets of struts may be increased to six or more to provide the necessary support and bracing to suit the character of the gate and the intended use of the same. These struts are arranged in inner and outer sets 9 and 10 and they extend from the side pivots 2 to horizontal beams or girders 11, extending across the front of the gate at the rear face of the same and afford abutments for the front ends of the said struts. The struts may be constructed of any suitable material and while four struts are illustrated in each set they may be varied in number and the struts of each set converge rearwardly to the invention, 1 designates the front' or andv may be connected with the horizontal Cir side pivot in any desired manner. The longitudinally disposed rearwardly extending struts which converge forwardly with relation to the struts at opposite sides of the gate and which also converge rearwardly with relation to the sets at each side of the gate may be reinforced by inclined braces 12 and 13 and by cantilevers 14 and 15 extending to the top portion of the front of the gate, as clearly illustrated in figure 1 of the drawings.

This construction provides a lighter structural design and a cheaper sectiongate than sector gates heretofore constructed of the same size, and the arrangement of the struts and horizontal transverse beams or girders provides an ele ent of safety for both the dam and the gate from ice thrust, especially when a heavysheet of ice presses against the gate.

The structure also provides a multipoint support for the gate face. These supports for the gate face resists the generally horizontal thrust or pressure of water and ice against the gate. The several horizontal beams and struts enable the maximum bending moments between the supports and over the struts at opposite sides of the gate to be equalized and this contributes to the light structure compared with other gates of the same size. The individual struts of each vertical set are so arranged that the members of each set of struts arefiin a common plane and the individual struts of each set are inclined to the horizontal somethingless than 90 degrees and a majority of the said struts of each set in the case of a spillway gate will be inclined 45 degrees or less to the horizontal.

The ice thrust in the case of a wide gate installed in high latitudes, is considerable, such ice thrust being commonly computed at the rate of 43,000 pounds per linear foot of gate, this being the force per linear foot required to crush ice of ordinary thick ness and the inclined top portion or section of the gate deflects the horizontal thrust of the ice and presents an inclined plane on which the ice is adapted to slide instead of exerting its effect. squarely against a nearly vertical surface.

The substantially segmentally arranged series of front faces effect a material reduction in the machine work incident to the construction of the gate and also greatly simplify the strut connections and the plurality of separate sets of struts obviate the necessity of extending a support ing girder across the spillway or other waterway in which the gate is mounted, for. supporting the gate at intermediate points:v and when the gate is swung upwardly a clear opening or passageway for such debris as trees or buildings that accompany floods is afforded. By employing the plurality of setsof struts in as many vertical planes intersecting each pin or pivot bearing it is possible to construct a wide and at the same time high gate which is light per unit of area and easily operated as the friction is reduced to journal friction on the two pivot pins. 16 designates a packing wing which extends upstream from the side of the gate adjacent the piers to form a tight joint or connection.

What is claimed is: V

l. A gate of the sector type provided at opposite sides with horizontal pivots and arranged to swing upwardly or downwardly, said gate having a front or water face composed of a series of fiat transverse faces arranged in substantially segmental form. 2. A gate of the sector type provided at opposite sides with horizontal pivots and arranged to swing upwardly or downwardly, said gate having a front or water face composed of a series of fiat transverse faces arranged in substantially segmental form, the upper portion of the gate being provided with a low inclined section presenting an inclined front face arranged to deflect and direct the thrust of ice upwardly, whereby the gate is relieved of the direct expansive force of the ice.

8. A gate of the sector type pivotally; mounted and arranged to swing upwardly and downwardly, said gate having a front or water face composed of a series offlat transverse faces arranged in substantially segmental form. v

i. A sector gate ofthe class described, provided at opposite sides with horizontal pivots and having a front presenting a substantially segmentally, arranged set of flat transverse faces, and provided at the top with an inclined portion presenting an ice deflecting front face, a plurality of .sets of rearwardly converging struts intersecting and connecting to the said pivots and connected at their front ends to the said front portion of the gate, and cantilevers connected with the struts and extending to the upper portion of the gate at the front; and rear of the said top inclined section.

5. A sector gate of the class described, pro vided at opposite sides with horizontal pivots and having a. front presenting a substan tially segmentally arranged set of flat transverse faces and provided at the top with an inclined portion presenting an ice deflecting front face, a plurality of sets of rearwardly converging struts intersecting and connecting to the said pivots and connected at their front ends to the said front portion of the gate in the angle formed by the said fiat faces, cantilevers connected with the struts andextending to the upper portion] of the gateat the front and rear of the said top inc-lined section, and a series of horizontal beams or girders extending across the gate at the front ends of the struts and cantilevers.

6. A gate of the sector type, comprising a front portion having a Water face having substantially segmentally arranged fiat sections, side pivots located in rear of the said front portion, transverse girders or beams arranged at intervals and extending continuously across the said front portion of the gate, and a plurality of sets of struts converging rearwardly at opposite sides of the gate and extending from the said beams or girders to the said pivots, the members of each set of struts being arranged in a common vertical plane intersecting the said pivots.

7 A gate of the sector type, provided at opposite sides with horizontal pivots and comprising a front portion having transverse beams and provided With flat substantially segmentally arranged sections connecting the beams, and a plurality of sets of struts converging rearvvardly at op posite sides of the gate and connected at their rear ends to the said pivots and at their front ends With the front portion of the gate at the said beams.

8. A sector gate of the class described provided at opposite sideslwith horizontal pivots and comprising a front portion having a substantially segmentally arranged set of flat transverse faces, and a plurality of sets of struts extending from the said front portion of the gate and connected at their rear ends to the said pivots.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

WILLIAM G. FARGO. 

